I absolutely love spinach pie. It’s rich, but not quite as heavy as a quiche, it has a deliciously flakey crust, and it works as a savory breakfast, brunch, or just anytime meal. It’s so good that I literally can’t wait to eat the leftovers, even though I know that puff pastry isn’t going to be crispy anymore. It just tastes so good.
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What is Spinach Pie?
This spinach pie is inspired by spanakopita, which is a savory Greek pie made with phyllo dough, feta, and spinach (see an authentic spanakopita recipe here). To make my spinach pie a little easier, I used a couple of short cuts: frozen spinach and frozen puff pastry dough. And then to keep the price on the lower side, I replaced the feta with cottage cheese (totally not similar cheeses, but it works here). The result is fast, easy, and still oh so delicious!
Where to Find Puff Pastry
The puff pastry dough is an important part of this recipe. You can find frozen puff pastry dough near the frozen desserts and frozen pie crusts in most major grocery stores. I used this one from Pepperidge Farm, but if you want to try making your own, check out this recipe for homemade puff pastry from my friend, Christina, at Dessert for Two.
Store-bought puff pastry usually comes in a box of two sheets, with each sheet folded into thirds. You only need one sheet, so save the second one for the next time you want to make spinach pie! You’ll also need to fully thaw the puff pastry before you begin, so make sure to take it out of the freezer at least an hour before you make your spinach pie.
What Else Can I Add to Spinach Pie?
This is another one of those recipes that can take a lot of fun add-ins. Try tossing in some chopped sun dried tomatoes, or maybe some cooked bacon. Or how about some feta cheese or roasted red peppers? A little bit of dill would also take the flavor up a notch!
Spinach Pie
Servings 8 slicesIngredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry ($2.40)
- 1 lb. frozen chopped spinach ($1.99)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 cup cottage cheese ($0.40)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 3 large eggs, divided ($0.63)
Instructions
- Make sure to take the puff pastry and spinach out ahead of time to thaw (spinach can be thawed quickly in the microwave, if needed, but do not thaw the puff pastry in the microwave). Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Set the onions and garlic aside to cool slightly.
- Add the cottage cheese, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and two of the eggs to a bowl, and stir to combine (save the third egg to brush on top of the pastry before baking).
- Squeeze out as much water as possible from the thawed spinach. Add the squeezed spinach and sautéed onion and garlic to the bowl with the cheese mixture. Stir to combine again.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface (or dust lightly with flour) and roll the thawed puff pastry out until it's just slightly larger, about 10×10 inches.
- Drape the rolled pastry dough out over a pie plate. Spread the spinach and cheese mixture inside the pastry dough, then take the corners and fold them in toward the center. The pastry will not fully cover the top, but that's okay (see step by step photos below).
- Lightly whisk the remaining egg and brush it over the surface of the pastry dough. Bake the spinach pie for about 45 minutes, or until the pasty on top has puffed up significantly and turned golden brown.
- Remove the spinach pie from the oven, let sit for about five minutes, then slice into eight pieces and serve.
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Equipment
Nutrition
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Love Spinach? Try these other spinach-licious recipes:
- Double Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Easy Creamed Spinach
- Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
- Creamy Pesto Mac and Cheese with Spinach
How to Make Spinach Pie – Step By Step Photos
Make sure to thaw one sheet of puff pastry and one pound of frozen chopped spinach before you begin. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Dice one yellow onion and mince one clove of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Set the onion and garlic aside to cool slightly.
Add 1 cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 2 large eggs, ⅛ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine.
Squeeze out as much water from the thawed spinach as possible. This is really important because you don’t want your spinach pie to be soggy!
Add the spinach and sautéed onion and garlic to the bowl with the cheese mixture, then stir to combine again.
And now the spinach pie filling is complete! Let’s move on to the puff pastry.
You’re going to need the puff pastry to be a little larger than it is as it comes, so lay the pastry dough on a sheet of parchment paper or a lightly floured surface, then roll it out until it’s about 10×10 inches.
Drape the pastry dough over a pie dish. There should be enough to drape over the sides (you’ll fold that over the top after it’s filled).
Add the spinach and cheese mixture to the pie plate and spread it out evenly.
Fold the corners in toward the center (it’s okay if they don’t fully cover the top. Lightly whisk the last egg, then brush it over the surface of the puff pastry.
Bake the pie in the preheated 375ºF oven for 45 minutes, or until the pastry on top is puffed up and deeply golden brown. Let the pie sit for about five minutes before slicing into 8 pieces and serving.
It’s sooooo good!
Sounds wonderful…Fixed spinach today for lunch.
Cant wait to try!
I love this recipe. Although when I made it, I had to use regular pie crusts since I couldn’t find phyllo. Was still great.
Do you think it could be made with scrambled eggs in place of the spinach?
Probably! :) That sounds good.
Can you freeze before baking and then bake when ready? Having company and would like to prep a day or two in advance but bake it fresh when company arrives
Hmm, I’ve never tried that method.
Yummy! Easy! Affordable!
This has to be the best spinach pie recipe I have ever seen.
This is a regular meal in our household, both exactly to recipe and with mushroom, feta and ham added.
Wonderful recipe, thanks for posting it!
Does this pie freeze well? I’m considering adding it to my freezer meals.
I’m actually not sure about this one. I’ve never tried to freeze cooked phyllo dough.
A little hint on reheating and leftover spinach pie….use a stone to reheat in the oven and it will come out crispy on the bottom AND top. Never microwave to reheat this.
Also, when I made this, I left out the nutmeg (sounded weird to me) and put in the entire carton of cottage cheese. It turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Yes you can use fresh spinach no it does not need to be blanched, all you do is wash it and squeeze all the water out then cut it.
Hi , Never used frozen pastry before- do you have to grease the dish first ?
Nope, the pastry dough has so much butter/fat in it that it’s as if it were naturally greased. :)
I made this tonight and it was fabulous. I tweaked just a it by baking it at 400 and put it in the lower rack in the oven just to make sure the bottom crust got crispy. SO much easier than phyllo!
Hi Beth,
I am so glad I found this recipe via Pinterest! It looks fantastic and I can’t wait to try it. My only question is, can you use fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach? If I use fresh spinach, does it need to be blanch first? Thank you!
Hi Jen,
Yes, you can use fresh spinach if you prefer. :) I would just sauté it down in a skillet first to remove some of the moisture. That should only take about 5 minutes.
Hi Beth,
Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese?
Yes, that would be delish!
I made this a few times for myself and loved it. Last night I went to a holiday party and made it with fillo dough which I have done before. A few guests at the party said it was the best spinach pie they have ever had. I added mushrooms in with the spinach for more texture.
Can this be made ahead?
I would think so, yes. You might have to adjust the baking time slightly, since it will be refrigerator cold when going into the oven. :)
Yes this can be made ahead and frozen.
This recipe is awesome. So far I’ve made it twice. The first time I made it following the recipe to a T. The second time I I added 1-3/4 cup of cubed ham to the onion & garlic. I also used 1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg. OMGosh, to die for!!!